Reel construction



K. W. THALHAMMER REEL CONSTRUCTION Aug. 7, 1951 Filed March 7, 1950 K421. V70 FGANG Z34; HAMMER IN VEN TOR.

IQTTOE/VE Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED I PATENT FlCEj l I p assaisif E I a l ,iemtcoNsmui-inoa Karl Wolfgang "llhalhammcr, Sunland, Calif.

Application mam, 195 o,.-serial No.:14s,'153 .l

t H 16 crlaiimisf i f l This invention, relates to an improved reel con-- the reel is removable and reversible to provideia struction and more particularly .to a combined container for fl1m-wound t r reel and container for use in winding, unwin still another object of this invention is todeand rin of strip ma eri l, such asmotion pic-.- sign and provide a combined reel and container ture strip film. 5 for film, wherein coupling means are, provided Prior reel construction for strip film generally for holding the side members of the reel in props comprised two perforated circular discs, irremoverly-spacedassembled,relationshipl ably attached to a central axial hub which spaced A further object of this invention is to desig the two discs and around which the strip film is and provide a combined reel and container con-.- o n a hin n end f a fi to e e t struction for film, wherein one of the side memhllb of Prior reels is awkward and inconvenient hers is provided with means affording a convenbecause of necessity of introduction of an end of i nt wid urface for application of braking presthe film between the :fixed discs and manipula sures by ath h tion of the end of the film to attach it to the eeh- A still further object oi this invention is to detral hub in a restricted space Wh re m v sign and provide a reel construction, wherein one of fin ers is extremely li t A Similar diffiof the side members .is releasably locked to couclllty is encountered when the end of the film is pling means provided on the other side member. detac e f o t e the restricted pa ca The invention contemplates a reel construction ing manipulation of fingers y aWkWfird' and provided with improved means for introducing dl fieult in order to free the end of the film. and securing an end of a film to the reel prior to When wind a s p fil on a p r reel 0 winding when one of the side members isrestruction, it often becomes desirable to manually ed, brake rotation of the reel toprevent backlash a d The invention also contemplates a combined to control tension in the strip fil as winding reel and containerconstruction of light weight, s d are Changed sua ly, bra i g is p capable of being sealed against moisture, and ocformed by placing the thumb on the circumferencupying a minimum pa f storage, tial edge of e Of the diSCS- Even though t A further object of this invention is to provide e of; Such a disc y be n e b c s of a reel for strip film, wherein means are provided its narrowness with r sp c to the thumb, wearing for limitingthe amount of film insertable into the action on a thumb is pronounced and the length film a d holding mea of time that a thumb can be held again h '.Generally speaking, the combined reeland conedge is limited. tainer for use with strip motion picture film com- Film wound on prior reels is usually placed in prises a fiat side member having a centrall disf- Separate Containers of slightly larger .size for posed hollow cylindrical reel facemember extendstorage. The use of a separate container necessiing t e i thereof d removable and etated mar for identification I101? y e l versible second side member having a cylindrical but also the container in which the reel is to be cover flange and provided with locking mean pla d i order to quickly d conveniently de operable with coupling means on the first side t y the film When in Storage Since fi Often member in order to releasably lock the second slde used in a im or k light and in the presence of 40 member in film winding position or in container several o her films nd h ir n r sstorage position, the cover flange bein outwardly placement of a film on a reel ,into a co t directed in film winding position and inwardly bearing differ nt d fi ati n often r su i directed and seated against the first side member. particular film being lost and unavailable for a when in container storage position. b considerable time. Other objects and advantages of this inven- An O ject of this invention is to design and tlonwill be readily apparent from the following provide an improved reel construction arranged desgflptions of th drawings,

to facilitate winding of a strip film by providing I t drawings:

a convenient braking surface and adapt to p Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a combined reel and V de a cover for the film so that the reel oonconstruction embodying this invention, the reel struction may be utilized both as a reel and a being disposed in film winding position, the sec-,

storage container. tion being taken in a transverse diametrical plane. Another object of this invention is to design Big. 2 is a side view of one side member of=the and provide a combined-reel and container con.- reel shown in Fig. 1, the view being taken .from;

struction, whereinone. ofcthe :sidemembers not; the plane. indicated by the line IIII of Eig. :11;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the v reel construction shown in Fig. 1, wherein the flanged side member is reversed in positionto provide a container for the film. I

The reel construction in Fig. lis illustrated in film winding position and comprises a flat circular axially ported first side member in of..

sufficient diameter to carry a selected lengthof him to be wound on the reel. The side member I0 islillustrated a's'being-provided with enla'rged spaced openingsil' for observationof progress of the film when beingwound or unwound. It is understood, of course, that this invention contemplates that such openings may beentirely omitted in order to provide an imperforate side member In, or preferably,-a radially arranged narrow slot may beprovided for observational purposes, the slot being adapted to be readily covered and sealed with a suitable adhesive material or tape toprevent entrance of moisture into the reel'when used as a container for storage.

Centrally disposed on side member In is a hollow cylindrical reel face member l2 secured to 'one face of the side member by any suitable means, such as spaced rivets 13, The reel face member 42 extends laterally outwardly from side member In and includes a cylindrical outer wall I! having a width just slightly greater than the width of filmwhich is to be wound on the reel. said wall 14 serving to'maintain -a second side member l5 of the reel in proper spaced relationship. The'reelface member 12 is provided with concentric inner central boss i6 having an axially ported circular fiat face I! lying in a plane spaced inwardly from the plane defined by the circumferential outer edge of the cylindrical wall I2.

Secured to the face [1 of boss I6 is a resilient coupling means for holding the side members Ill and IS in assembled relation. The coupling means include a generally circular axially ported member l8 secured to face '11 by any suitable means, such as rivets la, the diameter of the circular member l8 being slightly greater than the diameter of face 11. Integrally formed on the circumferential edge of the circular member l8 are plurality of pairs of diametrically opposed radially outwardly and circumferentially extending, resilient tabs I9. As best seen in Fig. 2 the tabs'are integrally joined with the circular member l8 only atone end of the tab, the remaining portion of the tab being normally biased inwardly and out of the plane defined by the circular member l8 as indicated by dotted'lines [81; (Fig. l). Preferably the member'lt and tabsis are formed of a thin resilient metallic materiahsuch as Phosphor bronze. Each tab [9 is provided with an enlarged port adjacent the end'joined to member l8 and lying in virtually the same plane of the tab. e

The second-side member 15, which is removable: and reversible with respect to the first side member: lo -may comprise a circular axially.

ported flat imperforate wall 22 having a cy1indrical cover flange 23. The inner diameter of the second side member [5 is slightly less than the diameter of side member Ill so that when the reel is used as a container and the side member 15 is disposed as illustrated in Fig. 6, the circumferential edge of the cover flange 23 will seat against circumferential edge margins of the side member I0 as at 24.

The secondside member I5 carries adjacent its axial portloc'king means for cooperative engagement with the coupling means carried by the reel face member l2.

The locking means include diametrically opposed pairs of buttons 25 each having enlarged inwardly tapered heads 26 on opposite sides of .-.wall 22 adapted to be inserted into the enlarged ports 2|! in the tabs I9. As shown in Fig. 4, each button 25 may comprise a male member having an enlarged shoulder 21* affording a seat against one side of wall '22 and a shank 28 adapted to extend through wall 22 and through a female element including an enlarged head 26-and an enlarged shoulder 29 seated against the other side of wall 22. The shoulders also-serve to space the heads 26 from wall 22 so that the heads 26 may extend into ports 20.

It will be readily apparent that side member 15 is releasably locked in assembled relationship with side member ID in either film winding position or container covering position by insertion of heads 26 on one side of side member l5 into enlarged ports 20 and then turning side member l5 so that shoulders 21 (or 29) are grasped by the arcuate slots 2|. Since the resilient tabs iii are normally biased inwardly, rotation of side member I 5 will draw or pull member [5 toward side member 10 until the outer surface of wall 22 is seated against the circumferential edge of wall H of the reel face member l2. It should be noted that the inward spacing of face [1 from theplane defined by the circumferential edge of wall H affords sufficient clearance for mounting of coupling member 18 and for drawing of the wall 22 into tight seating engagement with the circumferential edge of wall M. The tapering surface on each head 26 facilitates entranceof the head into the arcuate slot 2| by guiding the entrance edges of the slot into grasping engagement with the adjacent shoulder of the button.

A reel construction is thus provided wherein' side member i5 is readily removable and rever sible to afford either a relatively widebraking surface for a thumb when the reel is assembled in winding position or to afford a cover for the film when the film has been completely wound; Means for connecting and holding an end of a film to be wound on the reel is best shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The cylindrical wall [4 of the reel face member I2 is provided with two spaced slots 30 having open ends at the circumferential'l edge of wall 14 for facilitating lateral insertion of an end of the film into one of the slots when" member I5 is detached. Between slots 30 is pro vided a clip 3| having oppositely extending resilient fingers 32, each finger extending across a slot 30 and having an arcuate end presenting a convex surface normally biased against the inner surface of wall l4. A stop tab 33 is formed' in wall it spaced from and in alignment with" each'finger 32 by punching a rectangular portion of the metal inwardly. i 1

When side member 15 is removed from assembled relationship with side member ID, an; end ofa film to be wound may be laterally-m serted through the open end of a slot 30 and then moved longitudinally beneath the resilient finger 32 until the end edge of the film abuts against the stop tab 33. The resilient finger 32 exerts sufiicient pressure contact against the end of the film to hold the film during a winding operation. The clip and double slot arrangement permits attachment of an end of a film to the reel for Winding in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

The advantages of the combined reel and container described above are readily apparent. As noted immediately above, the end of the film is conveniently and easily attached to the reel when the side member I5 is removed without awkward and cumbersome manipulation of fingers in a restricted space. The end of the film is readily attached and adjusted in proper position by the provision of stop tabs 33 and resilient fingers 32.

After the end of the film is attached to the reel, the side member I5 is conveniently snapped into assembled relationship with the side member H! in film winding position by insertion of heads 26 into the enlarged ports 20, and then quickly securing the side member l5 by turning clockwise through a small arc, the resilient tabs l9 automatically drawing the side member l5 into tight engagement with the edge of wall M in proper spaced relationship. Any possible wobbling of the attached sid member I5 is eliminated by the circular seating engagement of the side member with the wall l4 and by cooperative engagement of the plurality of pairs of diametrically opposed resilient tabs carried by member If! and the looking buttons carried by member l5. In winding position the cover flange affords a convenient wide braking surface for manual control of tension of the film being wound.

When a film has been wound on the reel, side member I5 is easily removable by simply turning counterclockwise through a small arc to disengage the buttons 25 with the resilient tabs I9. Side member I5 may then be reversed in position and snapped into assembled relationship with side member Ill so that the cover flange seats against the edge margins of side member I and the film carried by the reel is completely enclosed. Here again, the cooperative engagement of the coupling means on member I0 and the lockin means on member l hold the reel in tight assembled relationship and in such a manner that the reel may be conveniently sealed against moisture by securing a piece of adhesive tape over the seating engagement of the cover flange with the side member ID.

Since the film carrying reel is capable of being used as a storage container for the film, as described above, misplacement of film into a different storage container marked for a difierent film is impossible.

It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the combined reel and container construction illustrated including the coupling means, and all such modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. A combined reel and container for strip motion picture film and the like, comprising: a substantially flat, circular, axially ported, first side member; a centrally disposed, hollow cylindrical reel-face member carried by the first side member and extending to one side thereof; coupling means carried by and within the hollow reel-face member; a second circular, axially ported side member, said second side member having a cylindrical cover flange carried by the outer margin thereof; and locking means carried by the second side member and arranged for cooperative engagement with the coupling means when the cover flange extends toward the first side member and for cooperative engagement with the coupling means when the cover flange extends away from the first side member.

2. A reel of the character stated in claim 1, wherein the coupling means is resilient and is normally spaced from the plane of the outer circumferential margin of the reel-face.

3. A reel of the character stated in claim 1, wherein the coupling means comprises a pair of resilient tabs, each having an enlarged port, arranged to receive a locking means, and an arcuate slot arranged to grasp a locking means.

4. A reel of the character stated in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the first side member is slightly greater than the diameter of the second side member, whereby the margin of the cover flange carried by the second side member will abut the first side member when the locking means are in engagement with the coupling means with the cover flange extending toward the first side member.

5. In a combined reel and container for strip motion picture film and the like, the provision of: a circular axially ported first side member; a hub member coaxially carried by the first side member and extending to one side thereof; a second axially ported circular side member having a cylindrical cover flange on the outer margin there of; and means on said hub member cooperative with means on said second member for selectively couplin said second side member to said hub member when the cover flange extends toward said first side member to provide a reel cover and when the cover flange extends away from said first side member to provide a braking surface.

6. In a combined reel and container for strip motion picture film and the like, the provision of: an axially ported first side member; a coaxially disposed hollow hub member carried by the first side member and extending to one side thereof; a second axially ported side member having a cover flange on the outer periphery thereof cooperative with the first side member to provide a reel cover in one position and operable in another position to provide a reel braking surface spaced from said first side member; and c0- operable means on said hub member, and said second side member for selectively coupling said second side member in said positions.

KARL WOLFGANG THALHAMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 913,328 Uebelmesser Feb. 23, 1909 2,189,547 Fischer Feb. 6, 1940 2,191,489 McQuiston Feb. 27, 1940 2,358,504 Goldberg Sept. 19, 1944 2,467,607 Bates Apr. 19, 1949 2,494,612 Goldberg et a1. Jan. 17, 1950 

